Minister of Foreign Affairs Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis has stressed that now is the moment of truth for the United Nations to prove its effectiveness and use preventive diplomacy in the direction of Turkey, which threatens Cyprus as regards its sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Addressing Thursday evening a United Nations Day event on “The United Nations and Preventive Diplomacy”, at the Presidential Palace, Markoullis referred to the successes and failures of the UN, saying that the failure of the United Nations to put in place the collective security system envisaged in the UN Charter has had several major consequences.

Referring to Cyprus, she stressed that “especially small states like Cyprus would like to see the United Nations acting more solidly and with consistency to defend international law when it is being violated“.

Noting that “small states like Cyprus look to the UN as the guardian of the UN Charter and the guarantor of the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, when they are being flagrantly violated“, she underlined that “unfortunately, our experience throughout these past 37 years has been very disappointing as far as the implementation of the Security Council resolutions on Cyprus“.

“Having no other defense for protecting and preserving our sovereignty and territorial integrity and for exercising our sovereign rights as a member state, we continue to count on the United Nations, on the international community and on international law“, she noted.

The Cypriot FM said that in the face of recent threats and actions by Turkey “violating our sovereign rights in our Exclusive Economic Zone, this is a moment of truth for the United Nations to use preventive diplomacy towards the direction of Turkey. This is a moment to prove its effectiveness and preserve its credibility“.

Referring to the successes of the UN, she said that from the point of view of Cyprus, the UN has been, “to a large extent successful“.

She explained that for Cyprus, the UN has been successful because the rules on statehood and sovereignty the UN have established and safeguarded the Republic of Cyprus since its establishment and independence.

“It has provided Cyprus with the necessary legal, political but also moral support and recognition, which the international community has voiced through the adoption of UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions over the years“, she pointed out.

Markoullis noted that “it is this support and recognition that has helped us survive and persevere through the years of Turkish threats and provocations in the 1960’s and later during and following the Turkish invasion and occupation that brought so much destruction and suffering as a result of the loss of lives, deprivation of land and properties, the missing, the plundering of cultural property, the ill-treatment of the enclaved“.

Furthermore, she said that “it is this support and recognition that also fills us with confidence that our efforts to exercise our sovereign rights will be protected, in spite the blatant threats by our neighbor to the north, the Republic of Turkey“.

She also referred to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) since 1964, saying that “despite the fact that it was not able, because of its restrictive mandate, to prevent the Turkish invasion and occupation, having itself lost several soldiers as a result of the aggressive actions of Turkey, it has provided comfort, security and assistance to the Cypriot people over the years“.

“It has provided the Cypriots and especially the enclaved Greek Cypriots (in Turkish occupied Cyprus) with humanitarian and other help to overcome the obstacles imposed over the years by the Turkish army of occupation“, she added.

The Cypriot FM said that the UN and particularly the office of the Secretary General, have, over the years, followed developments on the island and have sought to contribute to the resolution of the Cyprus problem in line with UN Security Council Resolutions, the Charter of the United Nations and international law.

“We hope and wish that the many years of efforts for Cyprus, by the UN and the leaders of the two communities, will result in the reunification of our island, the reconciliation of the two communities and the successful implementation of a viable and just solution based on a bizonal, bicommunal, federation“, she went on to say.

If we are to reach a durable and sustainable solution in Cyprus, she added, then, “the important elements included in the High Level Agreements as well as the basis for the solution which envisages one state of Cyprus with a single sovereignty, single international personality and single citizenship and political equality as described by UN Security Council resolutions should be diligently preserved“.

Referring to “preventive diplomacy“, she said that UNSG Dag Hammarskjold, who served from 1953 to 1961, developed this concept during his career and became known as the dove of preventive diplomacy.

She added that most recently, Secretary General Ban-Ki moon placed preventive diplomacy at the top of the UN agenda, in a report entitled “Preventive Diplomacy: Delivering Results.”

Concluding, Markoullis noted that preventive diplomacy can work “only if there is trust by the parties in conflict, and when those practicing preventive diplomacy – the diplomats, mediators and other, often non-governmental interlocutors – are genuinely impartial“.

Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. UN led talks have been ongoing since 2008 between the two leaders with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.

Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus’ northern part since they invaded in 1974, is the only country in the world which does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus. Following a decision by Nicosia to begin natural gas and oil exploration in its Exclusive Economic Zone, Ankara has deployed warships in the Eastern Mediterranean and has signed an illegal agreement with the Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus to delineate what it calls continental shelf.

Drilling has already begun and is being carried out by Houston-based “Noble Energy”, off Cyprus’ south-eastern coast.

The government of Cyprus has protested to the UN and the EU Turkey’s moves, saying it has a sovereign right to exploit its natural resources, pointing out that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will benefit from any benefits that may come from oil drilling.

Cyprus has signed an agreement to delineate the Exclusive Economic Zone with Egypt and Israel with a view to exploit any possible natural gas and oil reserves in its EEZ. A similar agreement has been signed with Lebanon but the Lebanese Parliament has not yet ratified it.